25 Mar 2012

Liverpool fans have been clamouring for Raheem Sterling to be given a chance in the first team, and today, he made his debut in the woeful home defeat to Wigan Athletic. Losing 2-1 with 7 minutes to go is not the ideal situation for a home debut, but Sterling did really well in the limited time he was on the field, and after the game, Anfield legend Dietmar Hamann was full of praise for the youngster.

Hamann described Liverpool's performance as 'poor', but was positive about Sterling's brief cameo:

"I think he [Sterling] had a good impact when he came on. He took defenders on, won a couple of free kicks and had a shot that Skrtel gets on the end of.

"In sixteen minutes, he showed more than some players did in the ninety minutes. He had a big impact when he came on, and he certainly deserves another chance, and hopefully we'll see more of him in the future"

The thing that immediately stood about Sterling was his blistering pace, and it was great to see real speed in the team for a change. The youngster's touch seemed good, and he definitely wasn't over-awed by the occasion.

Now that Sterling has had a taste of the action, stick him in the team for every league game until the rest of the season; it's not like he can do any worse than the likes of Downing and Henderson, is it?

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59 comments:

raheem has pace and that is what's missing in liverpool now. Liverpool plays sideways and backwards.. and going backwards too. The only 2 players who dared to go forward and try are Sg and suarez. The rest are useless, only good at keeping possession, afraid to lose the ball but no balls. Put raheem in and keep his pace going and dont stop him.

Liverpool EPL session is over. No matter we finishes 8 or 15th. Now we have eight games in hand. Its the time for experiment for next session. all new boys must be given game and senior must confiened to only FA Cup. due to fatique we are loosing games.

Totally disillusioned with Dalglish. Even his interviews are defensive and rude.Always dismissive of any hint of criticism. Awful league performances, shambolic signings, results are shocking. Relegation teams are coming to Anfield and winning. How can anyone defend this. Put sentiment aside and look at it logically. He has to GO

Agree. Ease him smoothly into the first team by giving him playing time in all of the games that remain in the Premiership. The guy looks lively, brave, fast, and with enough technique. Seems like a flair player, the type of players we desperately need.

If Barcelona is of any example, look at how their manager treats the likes of Tello and Cuenca /both age 20/... slowly, gradually easing them into the team. Sterling is, admittedly, 3 years younger, so much more care shall be applied.

I think players similar to Sterling will provide a bit more speed, technique, and unperdictability. If two-three such players are added and if Agger and Lucas are fully fit, then real progress will come.

Despite the recently worrying form, I think we are better than during the RH dark period:- compared to RH team, we have more ball possession, more passes attempted and completed. This shall be further improved by holding the ball more patiently rather than looking for the direct attacking option. This will naturally come by including more flair and technically gifted players as well as a slight shift in philosophy;- compared to RH team, we have more chances created. Conversion is an issue, of course, with the woodwork and missed penalties not helping at all. One clinical striker may do. But also if we become a bit more patient with the ball and look for more proper openings would help as well;- compared to RH team, we enjoy much more positive football with more pressing, even without Lucas. Though, we all need the results to come, still there is a platform to build from. KK is nowhere near RH negative approach.

Given KD's results after taking over from RH last season, as well as his cup runs this year, I would argue he should be given a bit more time. It was tough to put forward such an argument about RH, mind. KK is a proper Liverpool mould and he would stand up for his beliefs rather than being nice with media, SAF at the expense of the team.

This post became a bit longer than initially intended, but just wanted to share a few thoughts on what I think needs to be improved to take the team up to the next level. Simply being negative to KK without suggestions for improvement does not help a lot.

I do agree with the majority on here that the league has been poor this year. if we are going to salvage anything i believe that the last 8 games can be used to establish some of the youngsters for next year. to be honest if we would have made no signings this year and just blooded the youth andd had the performances the we have had before tha last 6 games, i woul not have been t bothered as i knew youngsers would need time. i do belive that shelvey, stirling and suso should be given a go in the team.

We fans must be the biggest mugs, pay there 100k a week wages and they cant even play a game of football twice a week. Seen better football/players at school! I am tired as I ran for 90mins. Try breaking your back 7 days a week then spoilt brats!

Replacement for Stevie??? Are you watching the same team as all others of us? Of all the transfers, Henderson is the worst. Problem winning balls, problem keeping the ball, can't tackle, can't pass properly. He does not have enough quality to be playing for Liverpool. Time to sell him.

Totally in agreement with you, Tron. Just like saying that a surgeon can only perform 1 surgery per week because he will be tired. Specialists of all sorts around the world, perform their task repeatedly every day and footballers can't do the same and they are just playing their favourite game! What a bunch of spoilt brats!

I agree that hendo should be played more central, but he's a different sort of player then SG, he doesnt have the explosive pace the stevie had, jonjo will hopefully replace him. I would like to see stevie played on the right, where he started for liverpool. Whipping balls in for andy. Kinda feel bad for downing cause he was bought to proved crosses but he never has a target man to aim for. Suarez cant leed the line himself. I'll prob get slated for saying all that but hey thats my thoughts. Sterling is awesome tho, just hope he's givin a proper chance or he'll be off

in fact has we not bought downing, adam or henderson and instead used sterling, shelvy and suso, would we be any worse off? obviously the kids could not have played a full season, but we could have opted for some bargain players instead of the over priced brits and rotated them. then the youth would have been bedded in and experienced.on a side note, apparently dries mertens is a done deal for next season. the risky comment 'he looks great on you tube' is one im prepared to risk.id rather we purchased some cheaper players (not for the striker role) to compete for MF places, as the pressure will be off and the expensive brits will be under pressure to liven up. i still can't quite believe we bought 3 midfielders and that they are all awful.

i agree kd must be given more time to build a good team but the kind of team selection that always include under performing(bad transfers) players like henderson, adam and downing needs to stop and selection must be based on merit.I believe an equal opportunity must be given to the whole squad( including the obvious talent from the academy sterling,suso etc) to get some minutes in the first team and who ever delivers imo gets a chance to feature and who ever falls short get bumped to the bench or maybe not even that till all these players realise that 110 percent at all times is what is required to wear the liverpool jersey and if u r not willing or capable there is some 1 wiiling and ready to take ur spot which is a basic principle in football really

Downing is not a bad player. I like him. Only problem is that Liverpool just does not have enough players attacking the box. We have players on the fringe but not inside where they can exert more pressure and be in position to score.

Absolutely correct!, If KK is wise he will know we will back our kids even if we lose a few. It will give him a walkover for the rest of the lge games!!!.................come on KK let them play in the lge!!!

If Sterling is given more chances, without exaggerating, this guy may become the future Theo Walcott or why not Wayne Rooney. However, with the presence of Dalglish favoring and protecting his flops, I fear Sterling may not play regularly. If Arsene Wenger would have been his manager, then definitely he could be a star.

Hendersen,Carroll and Downing should be fielded in all the remaining matches except the FA Cup.This is to let potential buyers come by and buy them out.Adams am sure will improve next season.Doni also should be given a chance for Reina in many matches doesnt look serious.I think this will be a perfect plan for KK to field the first trio so as to possibly sell them with ease.If not then their weekly salaries should be slashed and loan them out.

Sterling looked quality. However we can't get too carried away at the moment. Remember he's only 17 and still needs to bulk up a bit to compete with some of the more physical defenders he will come up against. Aside from that, I'm hoping the rumours regarding Spurs aren't true!

He can even shoot piledrivers from distance either. So where is this comparison to S.G. Gerrard was knocking them in from 30 yards at Henderson's age. I see no strengths in Henderson at all. What does he do? I hope he pulls a Lucas but it isn't looking good atm. Lucas came with the odd assist, and good play from time to time when he first started, but Henderson is way below that level.

Funny how Carroll gets his chance, and some-one like Pacheco is shipped out. If any one has seen Pacheco's appearances in Red shirt, they would know that he has way more quality than Carroll. I can see him playing with Suarez perfectly. I hope Pacheco learns the Spanish style of game, he would be a hit when he gets back to the team, that is if Dalglish doesn't tell him Carroll is better because is he is worth more!! Him Suarez and Sterling can certainly be a better future than Carroll, Henderson and Suarez.

I think it was great to see Raheem have some time on the pitch and i couldn't agree more he was great, exactly what we need for the future (starting from next game) but my concern is that if we do not still bring in some real ready made quality players, then our younger guys will be stuck with learning from clowns (no names needed) because all though the trainers and managers teach the game i believe that you get a lot more from playing with good footballers (game experience). If you play with mugs then you slowly drop your standards. Anyway good to see some younger guys in the team hope we bleed more of them.

couldn't agree me we should also bring in suso and morgan trust me we will be scoring a lot more goals and as carrol, henderson and downing lovers keep saying these guys need more time yeah give them all the time in the world i say but not in the first team but in the reserves

Play a front three, until the last distastrous 15 minutes, the 433 at QPR seemed to work. Sterling and Bellamy, either side of Suarez. Carroll, Kuyt and Downing on the bench. Gerrard alongside Spearing and Maxi in midfield. Henderson and Adam on the bench. Coates in for Carragher at the back.

I'd be considering returning to London if my manager did not think i was worth a go when the team is playing so badly. Ideally, with his pace, we want this kid as close to the opposition goal as possible. In a 433, the midfield has to work hard to relieve him of some of his defensive duties. In the league, what have we got to lose?

Imho Shelvey is the true replacement for Gerrard. He has the drive, ambition and tenacity to fulfil that role. He has shown in the Championship at least that he can score goals. What I like about Shelvey is that he takes Control of the situation. He doesn't hide like Henderson. He doesn't always get it right, but he has that certain swagger that I like in a footballer. Trust me, Shelvey will become a much better player than Hendo.

Dan Pacheco looked like one of those players who couldn't mix it with the big boys, a bit like Macheda. I mean Dani isn't do much now. Bundles of talent, but it doesn't always translate. The difference with Sterling is that he has pace and knows what to do with it. He is suited to the Prem. Pacheco is more suited to the Italian or Spanish game as he is slightly allowed more space. Of course the likes of Silva, Modric etc thrive without much pace, but what they have is the ability to create time and space, and actually are not as weak as they look. A Pacheco type player may come good in a few years, but players like Sterling, Ox Cham have immediate impact. That's why I think he can succeed ahead of Pacheco, he doesn't have to cater his game as much.

adam - slow, clumsy, lost his confidence, the club is too big for him, and dead ball situations an anti-climax. premiership experience counted for nothing.downing - versus QPR and Stoke he looked like he was getting his mojo back, but does not seem intelligent enough to make the most of his dribbling and pace. again, premiership experience counted for nothing.henderson - still young, looks tidy, but again, you'd have to question his defending and general consistency.

to king kenny, that's your slate wiped clean. i for one will be judging you from this day forward.

I've been left wondering for 30 games when Shelvey will get a start yet he was loaned , recalled and still without any time on the pitch i swear im not watching any matches Henderson starts he such a waste of space gallivanting aimlessly around the pitch yet he's getting a start every other match this season .Sterling was a breath of fresh air

I wouldn't go so far as to say that any of the reserves should be starting every game until the end of the season (don't want anybody thinking that they've 'made it' too soon) but at least two from Sterling/Suso/Ngoo/Silva/Morgan/Coady should be featuring heavily in every game, to give them some useful experience of Premier League football, keep them motivated and get them ready to be proper squad players next season

For me, Henderson is a more technically proficient player than Shelvey, but he is so frigging timid that all of his talent is for nought.

Shelvey on the other hand looks a bit more raw, but tries to hurt the opposition with almost every touch of the ball that he gets (much like Gerrard) - loose balls and 'possession stats' be damned.

Henderson was handed too much too soon by Dalglish, and should've be the one kept on a short leash while he develops enough confidence to become a first team player - we'd undoubtedly have picked up more points with Shelvey having had Henderson's games this season imo. Henderson is still likely to end up a better player though.

Pacheco would've succeeded if he'd been given the game time to flourish with our first team. The same kind of time and opportunity that has been afforded to Henderson and Downing, just without the extortionate transfer fee and wages going out. Instead he wasted years in our reserves and went backwards. The same as has happened with many of our other talented reserves.

Why does everybody keep talking about the need for Sterling to bulk up?? I don't see a lack of bulk holding back the likes of Hernandez, Silva, Walcott, Lennon, Miyachi etc, or even the likes of Wilshere, Scholes, Modric or Swansea's core of midgets in the middle of the park. It's not like the old days where players could just be kicked off the park - speed, agility and technique are far more important attritbutes than physical strength in modern football, particularly for a tricky winger

Pacheco's Liverpool career is over (as long as Dalglish remains in charge anyway). If there was any interest in grooming him for the first team, he would've been loaned back to Norwich or another Premier League team, not shipped off to sit in the reserves in Spain

HENDERSON TO REPALCE STEVIE G..MY ASS..HENDO IS THE WORST LIVERPOOL PLAYER IN HISTORY..HE CANT PASS..CANT SHOOT..CANT TACKLE..NO BRAIN..NO VISION..HENDO ONLY GOOD TO BE KIT-MODEL ONLY..THE MOST LFC RUBBISH PLAYER IN HISTOR

I hope Hendo comes good, but I'm just not seeing enough moments of this talent. With young players i like to see the talent shine through on occasions. For Hendo, I just don't see it enough. Maybe it's a confidence thing and this season may help his development. I do think he has played way too many games though. Should've had a job share with Shelvey.

Hey I would love Pacheco to get game time at LFC, but I'm just explaining the reasoning why he maybe hasn't been given a chance. A player like Pacheco needs time to bed in, and it's unfortunate that we haven't given him that time. However, players like Sterling can adapt to the Prem quicker due his type of game, that's why Sterling can be a success and Pacheco, perhaps not. Just look at Rossi for Utd, quality player, just didn't work out for him at Utd. Although, Utd actually did play him a few times, unlike LFC did with Dani.

I don't see the harm in trying to giving him games. He has way more movement than Carroll, and has a delicate control of the ball. We need players that play those short passes, British players are lagging that basic skill and vision. Why they cost so much, and why people put expectations of England winning the World Cup is just retarded. Its all the media that hypes up this crap. Carroll scores a few goals for Newcastle and his fee shoots up to 35 million ffs.